Shiny Paint

[pflaming]

What makes the paint SHINE. I painted two wheels, one was much shinery than the other? I've learned that too close and it may run, and too far and paint particles may dry enroute, but it seems there is a way to get that final shot to glow.

[Plymouthy Adams]

were both wheels prepped similar, same primer used, was both wiped prior to top coat and did they get painted in same atmospheric conditions..humidity playes a big role in blushing..but not as nearly so on enamal as lacquer paints..did you mix your own paint or use rattle cans..spray cans can have subtle difference between each can..depending on lot and such..storage conditions and a list of other variables..

[greg g]

depends on the paint. Most enamels dry to a shiney surface when the carrier solvents evap. with laquers you have to buff to bring out the shine. With modern latex stuff they are selling now who knows. You can get clear coat in a can and give your projects a final coat of that. As long is its compatable with the base coat. Kyrlon makes a couple that should be universal in applicatioin, but I don't know how much UV they can take.

[Frank Elder]

2 far away will give you dry paint with no shine Paul......the paint atomizes before it hits the wheel and looses it's gloss.

When I rattle can I don't read that dry time at all Lay down 1 light coat....5 minutes later another and 10 minutes a wet coat and then 10 more minutes a clear coat.

I NEVER give spray paint a chance to completely dry or cure that way it will always bite into the next coat without prep between coats

Buy rims and PRACTICE, painting a fender or lawn chair won't help you learn the motion you need to paint rims.

[pflaming]

When is the ideal time to shoot clear? When the base paint is still tacky? Can clear be applied to dry paint? I am using rattle cans and enamel. Rustoleum and Krylon. I've learned that rattle can paint is thin so several coats in short order are required to get a good coat of paint.

[Plymouthy Adams]

if using Rustoleum as a primer and Krylon as the top coat..the primer has very specific drying times due to the ocntent of the paint and its active rust fighting agent..do read careful..do not push the product beyond its capabilities..its an excellent product when used properly..however you cannot get in a hurry..Rustoleum sprayed or brushed out of the can is excellent substrate that has sanding properties that excell high dollar primer..again, draw back is the time needed to get these results and this is what makes the product not so popular for time does equal money and the indutry revolves around the time factor being short to put production at fastest turn around but you only get this at a price..some are very extreme price..

as an added note to those who are not in a hurry and like the pruduct, Rustoleum primer should not be applied over seam sealer..use the seam sealer after the proper dry time

[pflaming]

Tim, I'm learning: The steering wheel was worse because of so many angles, nothing flat. On the rims one debates spray in a circle or horizontal and turn the rim 180 degrees after each coat. Maybe I'll put the rims on, jack up one wheel put the tranny in 1st and spray as it turns!!!

[TheMoose]

Tim, I'm learning: The steering wheel was worse because of so many angles, nothing flat. On the rims one debates spray in a circle or horizontal and turn the rim 180 degrees after each coat. Maybe I'll put the rims on, jack up one wheel put the tranny in 1st and spray as it turns!!!

What could Possibly go wrong!?

[Plymouthy Adams]

for certain, IF your primer which by the way maybe lacquer based does dry to the touch fast..is still wet at the substrate..as the remaining lower solvents cook out they pass through the upper coating thus could easily be flattening your shine..

90% of paint error are often nothing more than our rush to get through the job..it is important to following instruction..they are there for a purpose..and further though a can may say 10 minute dry..be sure your local temp/humidity is that of the can to get same dry time results..

I think that if you were to allow these same wheels to dry there is a chance you may yet get a bit of gloss back..some very expensive enamals for top coat are still cooking out over a course of 30 plus days..the paint is still fluid though dry to the touch, it is ctill "laying" down as we say.

your rims could possibily be placed in an over to speed the dry and in the process actuyally get your gloss bak in the process..either way..this process will allow you to address the repaint a bit earlier..

[greg g]

I just painted a steering wheel from my Studie truck. I placed it on a empty 5 gallon plastic bucket. this allowed me to get a lot of the under surface as I painted the top side. I have a old record player turntable with no guts the bucket fits on the turntable which I spin around while painting. Works for wheels also. And my bucket is getting to be quite a work of art with the hig fill prier, hammer tone, metalics and others stuff I have shot on it.

[pflaming]

Tim, so in layman's terms paint has a mixture of solvents (liquids) in it. Once applied, these interact or evaporate thus the mixture 'shrinks' lays down to form a protective surface. Accordingly, then one needs to know what that shrink / cure time is and allow for it. That the paint is not tacky in not the basis for determining cure.

Thank you.

[JBNeal]

paint "shines" depending on its surface smoothness: smooth paints look glossy, rough paints look dull or flat. One of the things I learned when tuning a paint spray gun was how to tune the nozzle for a smoother finish. If the gun is not set right or is partially clogged, if it is not held at the right distance or if it is held at the wrong angle, the paint droplets will land on the surface in irregular patterns, prohibiting the droplets from collapsing onto the surface at a constant rate. Another thing I learned was how to adjust my spray application speed for a glossier surface. Also, even application will promote a glossy finish, as thin spots in paint tend to look like a matte or semi-gloss finish. This all can carry over to rattle can applications. One way to practice technique on application is on cardboard. Painting on flat surfaces at first to develop methods for uniform coating thickness, then for glossiness. To further develop this skill, paint cardboard formed into a shape similar to the metal surface that is to be painted. Mocking up a cardboard wheel can be a cheap way to get some painting practice rather than actually painting the steel wheels.

One way to offset these application problems is to wet-sand between coats in progressive grits to even out surface imperfections. This takes practice to be done well, as using too coarse of a grit will produce scratches in the finish; too fine of a grit will not remove enough material. I've recently painted a steering column with a foam brush, wet sanding between each primer & top coat. Looking at the column close up, and the occasional brush stroke can be seen, but from about three feet away, the column has a glossy finish that I can live with, especially since I used a semi-gloss paint.

Painting wheels can be tricky where the hoop meets the hub, as trying to get good paint coverage here can easily produce runs. A trick I learned was to paint these areas first with light coats to build up paint thickness, allowing to dry to wet sand any b-bs between coats. Once these areas are adequately coated, the entire wheel can be painted with thin coats for buildup, then top coating for gloss. This can prolong the painting process, but the results can look quite good.